Meeting Mr Sourface: A Sterek Wedding Date AU
by M.J. Apollinaire
Summary: Stiles's little brother is getting married and asked him to be the best man at his wedding and Stiles's more than happy to oblige. There's only one problem: Jackson Whittemore is the other best man. Jackson, his ex-fiancee who ended their engagement two years ago out of the blue. How is Stiles supposed to survive living two weeks under the same roof as his ex while his family and f
1. Chapter 1

You are cordially invited

to celebrate the wedding ceremony of

Scott Alejandro Stilinski

And

Isaac Thomas Lahey

On Saturday afternoon June 21st at 5 o'clock

at the Stilinski family estate

and afterwards at the Beacon Hills country club

It wasn't fair, really, that Stiles had to go through this shit again. He had enough trying to avoid going back home for the holidays so he wouldn't have to hear people going "Oh poor Stiles, Jackson really did a number on him," or " Oh, poor thing you must be devastated being dumped like that," and then there was your typical "Sweetie, you are great. I'm sure you'll find someone else." Really? If he was so fucking great then why the hell did Jackson just dump him out of the blue after a two year engagement? And where the hell was the new Mr. Perfect that was supposed to come and sweep him off his feet?

He glanced once again at the invitation in his hands and sighed in defeat. He knew no matter how much he bitched about it he was still going. Scott was his little brother and he would do anything for him. After Stiles's mom died his dad was devastated. He threw himself into his work and drank away his despair leaving a one year old Stiles having to fend for himself. Okay, not really, his aunt Patricia stayed over with them from time. Still, a father's love and care (or lack thereof) does not go unnoticed by a child; which is why Stiles teachers started to notice the bedraggled state the kid was in and decided to give Mr. Stilinski a call. That's when people started to notice just how fucked up the guy was. His boss told him he either got his shit together or he was getting fired. That's when he decided to get clean, and then me het Melissa. She was a nurse at the hospital; according to his dad it was almost love at first sight. He asked her out a couple of times but she always said no. That is, until one day she told that she would go on a date with him if he managed to stay clean long enough. He accepted the challenge and then the rest is history. Soon they were married and Stiles finally had a mom again, and then a few months later Scottie was born and Stiles felt the happiest kid on earth.

Stiles dropped the invitation on the kitchen counter of his modest studio apartment and poured himself a drink. He looked at his watch. Only 5 minutes had passed since Melissa's call when she'd asked him if he'd gotten the invite. Scott had been so excited the day he told Stiles the news of the wedding. Isaac had finally popped the question. How could he miss the happiest day of his little brother's life? Besides, he really missed his folks. He was going to have to suck it up, go back to Beacon Hills, and be the best man at his brother's wedding. Except, there was a little problem; a little problem going by the name Jackson Whittemore. Besides giving Stiles the good news of the wedding Scott managed to slip in there another tidbit of information. It turns out Jackson was going to be the other best man at the wedding. Jackson the guy whom Stiles had loved throughout his teenage years; Jackson who mysteriously decided he wanted to go to Berkley after he found out Stiles got accepted into NYU; Jackson who after a few drunken make-out sessions got the guts to ask Stiles out on an official date; Jackson who proposed to Stiles three years ago and swore eternal love and devotion; the same Jackson who a year after the proposal decided to end things saying "it's not you it's me" and claiming he "didn't feel the same way anymore." One of the perks of growing up in a small town is that everyone knows everyone; which means that Jackson, Stiles, and Scott basically grew up together. They had all gone to Beacon Hills High and all three of them had made it into the lacrosse team. Stiles always whined about having his younger brother tagging along with him and his friends deep down though he didn't mind it so much. In fact, he loved it. Scott was only a year younger than him so they had lots in common. He remembers the first time Isaac and Scott had laid eyes on each other. Scott literally tripped over his feet in the cafeteria when Jackson walked towards him and introduced his foster brother Isaac. Those two acted like a pair of clueless puppies. That is, until the summer of their senior year. Well, Stiles and Jackson's senior year it had been junior year for Scott and Isaac. Stiles couldn't help but smile at the memory of that summer. God knows what would've happened if things had not gone down the way they did that summer

His cellphone rang and he checked the caller id. "Ha!" he laughed pressing the answer button.

"You know I love you and your brother to death, but sometimes you Stilinski men are really stupid. Why would Scott let something like this happen? I know Jackson is like a brother to Isaac but even Isaac should know making him the other best man would be a bad idea." Lydia rushed from the other end of the line.

"Hi Lydia, I'm fine, thanks for asking." He offered sarcastically.

"Oh shut up, you know I love you. Plus, I've got some of my people keeping tabs on you already at the Times. I'm trying to fume a little on your behalf so shut up and let me vent." She justified.

A wave of warmth unfurled in his chest. This is why he loved Lydia Martin so much, he always had. It all started with his crush on her back in high school, then they'd become good friends and Stiles had come to the realization that what he felt for her was more of a companionate love. Then he'd realized his true feelings for Jackson and they'd bonded over their scheming to get the lacrosse captain to fall for him.

"Thanks, Lyds. I appreciate that."

"Anyways, the reason I called is because I have the solution to your problem."

"Does it involve indulging myself with copious amounts of alcohol and curly fries?" he asked hopefully.

"I have one word for you: escort." She said triumphantly.

"Can I still eat that with curly fries?"

"I'm sure if we pay him enough he could be persuaded."

Wait, him? Stiles replayed Lydia's sentence once more in his head.

"An escort? Aren't those like man whores?" he choked.

"Technically, yes, but in this case there would be no sexual encounters unless you wanted to. Remember the article we ran on the magazine two months ago about a male escort? You said how much you liked the article so I thought you wouldn't object to the idea. I managed to bribe one of the editors into giving me his phone number-"

"No. Lydia, no. I am not doing that. Why on earth would I show up to my brother's wedding with a male prostitute. I'm desperate, but not that desperate."

"Desperate means call for desperate measures. Look, Stiles, I know you're all laughs and jokes with everyone else but I know this breakup hit you pretty hard. You were going to marry the guy! I can't even imagine what's going through your head right now knowing you'll have to spend two weeks stuck under the same roof as Jackson. This escort thing will keep you distracted. It'll be fun. Imagine showing up with a brand new sexy "boyfriend"? No more consolations and stupid comments from the town's gossips. People would finally get off your back and you'd get to spend a great time with your family. The hot guy that'll keep you company is a great bonus."

Stiles took another gulp of his drink and nodded. Lydia was starting to make sense, that's when he realized she was winning this argument. This would not end well.

"I feel lame enough as it is; I'm not paying for some guy's company. Aren't those dudes usually old?"

"It depends. I can assure you, though, this one didn't sound old when I talked to him on the phone."

"You already hired him, didn't you? Without knowing whether I would agree or not." Stiles inquired cautiously.

He could almost picture her right now. Picking at her nails nonchalantly, a small smirk on her face. She knew she'd win this.

"Well, if you already paid for it… When do I get to meet him?" he asked in defeat.

Stiles pulled the phone away from his ear at Lydia's excited shriek.

"Yes! He'll meet you at the airport the day you leave for California. I went ahead and reserved first class seats for you guys. I also paid him an advance; you pay for the rest in case you have any special requests. I promise you, Stiles, you won't regret this."

Lydia always got away with things. It really wasn't fair. A week later, Thursday afternoon, Stiles found himself in the JFK international airport about to meet the guy who was about to play his new fake boyfriend for the next two weeks. Breathe, Stiles. He chanted this to himself over and over. He'd never been a big fan of flying. Hopefully Erica Reyes would be working today. Talking to the blonde during his flights always entertained him. She was a stewardess and an old classmate of Stiles who'd also happened to move to New York after graduating High School. After checking in and going through security his nerves were still on edge. The last thing he needed right now was a panic attack. Yet the jumble of feelings and emotions he felt at the moment felt too familiar. It wasn't only the escort situation that had him nervous. It was the fact he was going back to Beacon Hills. He stopped coming home for the holidays after Jackson broke off the engagement.

Once he stepped into the plane he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Everything was going to be fine. What's the worst that could happen? He shouldn't ask himself that question, everyone knows after every occasion those words have been uttered hell breaks loose. Stiles hiked up his bag on his shoulder and winced. Maybe he shouldn't have brought so many clothes but Lydia had insisted on packing sexy and sophisticated outfits for him. To make Jackson foam at the mouth you don't only need a hunk of a man by your side, you need to look the part too . He stepped into the first class section of the plane and checked his seat number on the ticket. At that moment a middle aged man walked past him and stood by the seat next to the one that was supposed to be Stiles's. He had salt and pepper hair and donned a very expensive looking suit. So this was Derek Hale. Stiles sighed and tried to hide his disappointment. He wasn't bad looking but after all the things he read about the guy on the article he'd expected him to look different. Stiles took a step forward just as the man moved away from the seat and stopped to gawk at what he saw. No way. A pinch on his butt startled him.

"Ow!" he cried.

"Hey gorgeous, daydreaming already?" Erica smirked at him.

"Blondie! No I was just admiring the view." He breathed.

And what a view it was. Occupying the seat right next to Stiles's sat a fine specimen of a man. Had his prayers been answered? Was this a joke? There was no way that dude was Derek Hale. He was wearing a white dress shirt with a few buttons undone at the collar revealing a sprinkle of dark hair on his chest, the shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The way that shirt hugged those arms and torso…Jesus Fucking Christ! For the second time in his life Stiles was going to have to travel with a boner.

"He's gorgeous isn't he? He's been sitting there for a while now, constantly checking his phone. Whoever he's waiting for is a lucky lady." Erica murmured.

"Or guy." Stiles offered.

Erica nodded considering this option.

"He's waiting for me." Stiles mumbled.

"What?" Erica shrieked.

Everyone in the first class section turned to give them weird looks, including Mr. I'm too sexy for my shirt. He locked eyes with Stiles for a moment before giving him a slow smile. Oh God, Bad boner! Erica apologized to the passengers and told them to continue getting settled.

"Shit, Stiles. You're one lucky bastard. Is he your date for Scott's wedding?" Erica leered.

Stiles nodded and proceeded to tell her the same version of the story he'd planned on telling everyone else. Derek was his new boyfriend and they'd been dating for a while. Stiles just hoped they wouldn't happen to run into any of Derek's "customers", wouldn't that be great.

"What are you waiting for? Go to your man!" Erica ordered him after pushing him in Derek's direction.


	2. Chapter 2

Stiles swallowed nervously and turned to Erica who was smiling at him with encouragement. Okay, I can totally do this, he thought to himself. He walked slowly towards his seat and took the time observe his "boyfriend" a little bit more. At some point the guy had stopped looking at Stiles and he was now going through his phone. He was sitting casually with his right leg draped over his left, cellphone in one hand and glass of scotch in the other. Stiles shuffled his way towards his seat and cleared his throat once he got there.

"Um, Derek?" Stiles asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Derek looked up and his eyes widened for a fraction of a second before a smile lit over his face.

"Yes, I'm Derek Hale. You're Stiles I presume?" Derek asked extending his hand.

"Stiles Stilinski." He answered shaking Derek's hand.

Derek signaled Stiles to sit down angling his body towards him once the young man was sitting at his side and looked at him expectantly.

"W-what? Do I have something on my face? Is it a booger!?" Stiles exclaimed horrified, covering his nose with his hand.

Derek gave a hearty laugh and grabbed Stiles's hand, pulling it away from his nose. Stiles looked at where Derek's hand grabbed his wrist, Derek's very big, masculine yet soft hand. He wasn't really surprised. Yes, the guy exuded masculinity through every pore but he probably didn't do any hard labor. He wondered how those hands would feel on his bare skin; running down his neck, his chest, gripping into his thighs- Oh God. Stiles crossed his legs and prayed Derek didn't look down to his lap or he would find a surprise. A surprise that only rose more by the second.

"There's nothing on your face." Derek smiled letting go of Stiles's hand. "Lydia didn't say much about the job, she just said I'd have to play your new boyfriend? I was just waiting for you to give me some background history, or for you to come up with a cover story."

"Of course we will. We're going to my brother's wedding, where I'll be his best man. About two years ago my boyfriend ended our one year engagement and broke up with me. We had been together for four years. I still don't understand why he ended it, we were happy." Stiles said softly, he looked at Derek and noticed his pitying glance. "The thing is, Jackson is my future brother in law's foster brother, so he'll be at the wedding. In fact, he's the other best man. Since my dad's always been really big on spending time with the family and family gatherings in general, he insisted the entire wedding party should spend two weeks prior to the wedding together at our lake house. Which means my ex and I will be stuck under the same roof again. Anyways, ever since the break up my family's kind of been a pain in the ass, and honestly the last thing I want is for them to throw me another pity party or having them on my case and setting me up with random strangers." Derek chuckled and Stiles rolled his eyes. "Ugh, you know what I mean. Thank God you're hot, that shall keep them calm for a little while before asking questions."

Derek sat stunned at Stiles's comment before raising his eyebrows and sipping from his scotch. Once he finished his drink he pulled out an ipad from his traveler's bag, and proceeded to look through it with a look of concentration.

"Ok," he said, fingers flying across the screen taking notes. "We'll tell your parents I'm your boyfriend and we've been dating for a few weeks. If they ask why you had never mentioned me before, you tell them is because you didn't want to say anything until you were sure my feelings were genuine. It'll make sense; the last thing you want after what happened with Jackson is to get your heart broken again. Once I declared my true feelings you felt it was right to reciprocate, so you opened yourself to me and we got past all the emotional turmoil. Since things are turning pretty serious you decided it was time for them to find out about me, which is why you decided to bring me along as your date. Should we say we met at the opera?" Derek finished, looking at a gaping Stiles.

He'd only managed to process part of had come out of Derek's mouth. His dick twitched at the "you opened yourself to me" part and all coherent thoughts flew out of the window at that point. Stiles gave it to him, the guy took his job seriously. Who the hell manages to come up with such a plan (load of crap, really) in less than five minutes? Stiles needed a drink if he was going to process all of this.

"I'm sorry, that won't do." He said distractedly.

"No?" Derek asked surprised.

"There's no way my parents will believe I set foot in the Opera. The Opera, really? Who even goes to the Opera? Let's say we met through Lydia, it's more believable and also kinda true." He shrugged.

Stiles raised himself from his seat, moving his eyes around the front of the cabin trying to spot Erica. She always gave him an extra serving of whatever alcohol they had when he traveled.

Derek nodded and went back to typing.

"Would you care for some champagne?" a voice purred by Stiles's ear.

"Erica, thank God." He muttered snatching two champagne flutes from her tray, and downing both of them in four gulps.

Derek gave him a look raising his eyebrows. Seriously, how does he do that?

"Someone's a bit thirsty." Erica teased while handing Derek a champagne flute. "Flying makes him nervous." She offered to Derek who looked between them in confusion.

"I take it you know each other." Derek said, his lips twitching.

Before Stiles had a chance to say anything Erica jumped in.

"Yes, I've known Stilinski for a long time. We went to high school together, I even had a crush on him for a while, didn't I Stiles?" she smiled and Stiles made a face which resulted in Erica swatting his arm playfully. "Then I realized he didn't really play for my team so we stuck on being friends. I owe a lot to this one, made my high school life less of a hell and a bit more bearable. Don't know where I'd be without him." She finished quietly.

Stiles ducked his face in embarrassment, smiling fondly at Erica. Derek observed the exchange between the two of them with a small smile playing on his lips.  
"That's nice, almost sounds like you're the perfect man." Derek murmurs huskily.

Stiles looked up upon hearing Derek's tone of voice and met Derek's intense gaze.

"Guess that's my cue to go." Erica drawled suppressing a laugh.

Stiles dismissed her with a wave of his hand and turned to look at Derek. Who was still looking at him. God, that fucking smolder.

"Gah" Stiles groaned.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked frowning.

Good, at least he wasn't smoldering anymore.

"I'm fine. Like Erica said, I hate flying."

Derek nodded before giving him one last glance and going back to his drink.

Stiles groaned and strategically placed his messenger bag in front of the growing bulge in his pants. He was going to have to spend five hours and thirty minutes sitting next to 185 pounds of pure sex on legs. Oh the joy.

"Stiles, we seriously need to go. The shirt you had on was fine." Derek said, trying to sound patient but clearly failing, from the other side of the door.

"Tell that to Miss sassypants." Stiles muttered.

After their plane landed they rented a car and made their way towards Beacon Hills. Somewhere along the way Lydia called Stiles and asked him if he had changed into the outfit she picked out for him. Stiles's annoyed sigh was enough indication to let her know he hadn't, so she ordered Derek to stop somewhere where Stiles could get changed. Which is why he was now standing in the bathroom at Finstock's café.

"Is she always this bossy?" Derek had whispered, he didn't want to be at receiving end of Lydia's wrath.

"She's all bark and no bite, you get used to it after a while." Stiles had answered.

"Hey! I resent that, I'm not that sassy. Now stop whining and turn around, I need to see how that shirt looks on you." Lydia's voice snapped at him.

Stiles sighed heavily and turned towards the sink where he had perched his iphone in order for Lydia to see him while she told him which outfit to wear. Many people considered this ichat thing a gift, it was more of a curse for Stiles since it meant Lydia could reach him anywhere and bitch about his appearance. However, he didn't mind so much this time. He needed to look good for when he showed up at his parents' house and he knew his typical plaid shirts wouldn't do the job.

"Hmm, have you been working out lately?" Lydia asked, eyeing him appraisingly and doing a twirling motion with her index finger asking him to turn around.

"Yup, been doing lots of that lately. It's one of the only ways I can cope with anxiety lately." He answered.

"It's starting to show. That shirt looks great on you; the plum color does you justice. And those pants do wonders for your ass. You have a great ass, damn you, Stiles." She growled, sticking her tongue out at him.

He rolled his eyes and blew her a mock kiss as she turned to talk to someone who'd just walked into her office. He looked at himself in the mirror and nodded in approval.

"Not too shabby, Stilinski." He whispered to himself.

He wore a long sleeved, dark plum colored dress shirt that fit snuggly on his chest, and black slacks. He flexed his arms and watched the way the fabric stretched over his arms. Lydia was right, his late work out sessions were paying off. Looking at his phone to make sure Lydia was still not paying attention he turned around and glanced over his shoulder to look at his butt. Nice. He thought smiling smugly. Eat your heart out Jackson Whittemore.

"Stiles," Derek moaned from the other sound of door once again.

Stiles jumped startled at Derek's moan. Okay, the guy needed to stop saying Stiles's name like that. It did tingly things to his private parts.  
"Let him in Stiles, we need a second opinion." Lydia said, waving someone out of her office from the other side of his cellphone screen.

Stiles wiped his hands on his pants and opened the door carefully. Derek was standing with his hands on his hips and his back towards Stiles. Stiles cleared his throat and

Derek turned around muttering a "finally" before stopping in his tracks.

"Soooo?" Lydia's voice asked. "Doesn't he look ready to eat?"

Derek's eyes raked Stiles's body, his gaze stopping for a few seconds on his narrow chest then working its way up to his face. Stiles shuffled awkwardly, he was not used to being stared at like that.

"He looks bangable to me." A voice behind Derek commented.

The guy looked familiar to Stiles but he couldn't fathom why.

"Greenberg! Stop talking to the costumers and get your ass back to work." Someone yelled at the guy.

Stiles laughed and looked back at Derek , though his laugh died on his lips quickly upon seeing the other's expression. There was the intense look. Was this what people called eye fucking? Stiles wouldn't know, he never had much experience in that department.

"Yeah, he does." Derek said gruffly.

When he realized he was still staring at Stiles he cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Can we go now?" he pleaded at Stiles.

"Yes, you should go. I'll be there in a few days, and please slap Scott and Isaac for me when you see them." Lydia chirped from my phone before hanging up.

Stiles grabbed his stuff from the bathroom and followed Derek outside. He was still not sure about the car they were driving.

"Tell me again why we rented a Camaro?" Stiles said warily.

"What?" Derek challenged, "I like this car." He said before getting in.

Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

As they drove through Beacon Hills memories of his childhood slammed into Stiles like a strong current, some good, some bad. No matter how much he complained about it he missed this place. He had some great times there, but most of all he missed his family and friends. Jackson was probably there already, showing up "fashionably late", he always knew how to get people's attention. Luckily, Stiles had made sure he and Derek were going to show up late too. Okay, not really; he just really had to pee. So after Derek gave him one of his signature looks, you know the freaky raising of the eyebrow one? They stopped at gas station.

The closer they got to the house the more anxious Stiles felt. Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea. He pulled on his shirt collar and swallowed nervously. He should've stayed home and just mailed Scott his wedding present. Scottie would've understood, because Scottie was like that. Always understanding and caring, always looking out for his big bro Stiles. The kid was like a human being made of fluff and rainbows.

"What does your dad do for a living again?" Derek's voice asked; though it sounded far away to Stiles since he was too busy freaking out.

"He used to be the town sheriff a few years ago but he's the Mayor now." Stiles answered from his daze.  
Shuddering, he cracked his neck and flexed his hands after wiping them on his pants. Everyone knew how shaken up he had been after the break up. Even if they had always insisted it was time to move one were they really going to believe he got in a relationship out of the blue. More importantly, would they believe that a guy like Derek would give him the time of the day? They'd always said he'd lucked out with Jackson, miracles don't happen twice.

"Stiles," Derek said soothingly.

He stopped walking and stood in front of Stiles placing his hands on his shoulders. They were standing on the porch of his parents' lake house about to go in. When the hell did they get out of the car?

"Relax, everything will go according to plan. They will believe us."

"No, they won't. You don't understand. My entire life I've been put down by these people, except for my parents and my brother. They've always seen me as the weird, hyperactive kid whose mom died of cancer. I tried to change and put myself at their level of "normal" but I was never good enough. When I was with Jackson it was different, I finally belonged somewhere. I was great at being Jackson's boyfriend, and even that I managed to fuck." He finished, biting his lower lip trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill.

Derek sighed, a sympathetic expression on his face.

"Sti-"

"And let's not even talk about you. They won't believe for a minute you're interested in me." Stiles cut in.

Derek shook his head.

"They will becau-"

"I mean look at you." Stiles whined, bringing his hands to paw at Derek's chest.

"Please, you need-"

"It's like you're freaking photo shopped. Do you seriously believe-" Stiles was cut off from his rant when Derek slapped him.

He FUCKING slapped him.

"Dude! " Stiles cried indignantly before shoving Derek.

It was useless, the guy was so freaking heavy Stiles only managed push away a little bit. A dark expression crossed Derek's face before he growled (I kid no not the guy fucking growled) and pushed Stiles against the wall.

"Oh my God, please don't kill me!" Stiles screamed shrilly, cowering against the wall.

"Snap out of it, Stiles. Everything's going to work just fine, want to know why?" Stiles nodded, his head bobbing rapidly. "Because you will calm the fuck the down, make yourself look presentable, and because I know how to do my fucking job!" He shouted.

Oh God, I've unleashed the kraken/. Stiles thought. Whatever happened to the nice Derek he met on the plane? Derek backed away from him and rearranged Stiles's shirt, smoothing away the wrinkles he'd left. Stiles was still plastered to the wall looking at Derek, asking permission for moving, when Derek grunted and nodded to the door. Stiles moved away from him and rang the doorbell.

"Look, I'm sorry by the way I reacted. I'm not a violent person; I have no idea where that came from." Derek apologized looking sheepish.

"No, s-s'okay man. You're right; I need to get my head on the game." Stiles stuttered.

A woman Stiles had never seen before opened the door and welcomed them inside.

Derek turned to Stiles raising his eyebrows and gave him a small smile before rolling his shoulders.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked softly, wrapping his hand around Stiles's.

"As I'll ever be," he mumbled back, stepping inside and pulling Derek with him.

"Stiles, baby, you're finally here!" his mom, Melissa, cried from across the room as soon as she spotted them by the foyer.  
She made her way towards them and Stiles stopped in his spot, his body tensing up again. Feeling his distress, Derek gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Stiles found himself comforted by his touch and exhaled the anxious breath he had been holding.

"Let's rock this bitch!" he said under his breath earning a chuckle from Derek.

Stiles grinned in return. Maybe things would work out after all.


	3. Chapter 3

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Oh sweetie, is so good to have you home." Melissa said, wrapping Stiles in a warm hug.

He burrowed his face in her hair and inhaled deeply. She still smelled of all his childhood memories and home.

"We've got a rough week ahead of us." She chirped once she let go of him.

Stepping between Stiles and Derek she steered them towards the dining room. "Let me fill you in on our schedule. We've got cocktails today. Then tomorrow a family gathering in the park, Friday there's a picnic and I believe Scott wanted to have a lacrosse tournament for family and close friends sometime next week but I'm still not sure when."

"Lacrosse?" Derek asked interested, while sending the waiter offering him hors d'oeuvres away.

"Yes, it's sort of a family thing at this point, especially with the boys. Ever since they made it into the lacrosse team in High School the sport has taken over a part of Scott's brain." Melissa commented in a playful tone.

"Mom, where's dad?" Stiles asked carefully.

"He went to the airport to pick up Aunt Trudy he should be back by now. I think I'm going to give him a-"

"Stiles?" a shaky voice asked.

Stiles turned around and came face to face with his dad. The former sheriff's eyes watered when spotted his son, a small tear escaped from his eye when he couldn't hold them any longer.

"Dammit, dad. You know I can't handle the tears." Stiles groaned, pulling his old man into a bear hug.

"I-I'm sorry, son." The man replied shakily walking into his son's arms. "I just really missed you." He mumbled into Stiles's shirt.

That was probably going to stain but Stiles didn't care. It was the first time in two years that he saw his dad and now he seriously felt like crap. His dad was crying and it was all because of him. All of this went back to the Jackson dilemma. If Jackson hadn't moved back to Beacon Hills after the breakup Stiles might've come back. He held onto his dad and continued to send mental death threats to Jackson. Who was he kidding though? If anyone was at fault it was Stiles himself. What he did was immature; he should've come back as soon as his father had asked him to but he had to let his stupid pride take hold of him.

His dad patted his back soundly before pulling away. Melissa laughed quietly as she shed a few tears of her own.

"Who's this?" His dad said looking at Derek, surprise seeping through his voice.

Stiles stood frozen in a panic. When Derek noticed he wasn't going to talk anytime soon he stepped in.

"I'm Derek Hale, Stiles's new boyfriend. It's a pleasure to meet you Mayor Stilinski, Mrs. Stilinski." Derek offered.

He was all smiles as he shook his parents' hands. Melissa was ready to swoon when he kissed the back of her hand. If his eyes didn't deceive him Stiles was pretty sure he saw her fan herself when she thought they weren't looking.

"Please, call me John." Stiles's dad said, accepting Derek's handshake. "Stiles's new boyfriend you say." He drawled. "Stiles never mentioned a new boyfriend during any of his calls." He finished looking towards Stiles accusingly.

"It's pretty recent, Dad. I didn't want to say anything until I was sure of his feelings." Stiles answered with a smile.

This lying thing was started to get easier and easier

"Oh that's wonderful!" Melissa shrieked in delight.

She grabbed Stiles by the waist and tugged him away but not before his dad drew him into a hug again.

"Welcome home, son." John whispered, clapping his son on the back before letting Stiles and Derek be swiped away by Melissa.

The next twenty minutes passed in a blur and Stiles was too keyed up to care. It was the same old story: people congratulating him on his job at the New York Times, telling him he looked great, and some ogling his new boyfriend, of course.

"Stiles!"

Stiles paused; it had been so long since the last time he saw the face attached to that voice. Turning around slowly he managed to see say hi before his brother slammed into him and lifted him in a hug.

"Oof. Okay, okay, please put me down." Stiles groaned.

Scott laughed and settled his brother on the floor giving him one last squeeze before letting him go.

"It's so good to see you bro!" Scott exclaimed, a dopey smile on his face.

"It's good to see you too, Scottie."

"Oh man," Scott groaned, "please don't call me that. You only call me that when you're getting emotional or when you feel nervous about something."

Stiles rolled his eyes. If only he knew.

"I'm glad you could make it. We've really missed you, especially dad."

The look Scott was giving him was completely unnecessary. Stiles already felt like the worst human being on the face of the earth, the reproachful looks were completely unnecessary at this point.

"Where's the other groom? I figured you guys would be attached to the hip." Stiles teased playfully.

Scott blushed and smiled.

"He went to get the Whittemores." He answered, his face sobering up. "I am so sorry Stiles. I know this whole arrangement is probably going to be really awkward for you but I couldn't just tell him not to invite them. He owes them so much. They're family to him, i they hadn't taken him in God knows what would've happened."

"I understand, Scott. You don't have to explain anything. Besides, my problem's with Jackson not with his family." Stiles offered.

Scott threw him a thankful look before frowning.

"Who's the hot dude?" Scott asked when he finally noticed Derek standing next to Stiles.

"This is my boyfriend, Derek. Derek, this is my little brother Scott."

Derek shook Scott's hand.

"Pfft, there is nothing little about me," Scott joked "Nice to meet you, Derek. I've got to go, Deaton just got here."

Scott gave Stiles one more hug before running to Deaton and his nephew Boyd.

"How am I supposed to brag about my new 'boyfriend' to my family when they aren't even paying attention?" Stiles sighed.

"Relax, we have plenty of time for that." Derek said, leaning against the wall. "Take advantage of it and go circulate. I'm sure there are plenty of people here who you want to talk to."

"Not really, no. All these people here belong either to my dad's circle or the Whittemore family circle, and to be honest, the less I socialize with them the better. The only people I want to see are not even here. Lydia won't be arriving till next week, Erica never said if she was coming prior to the wedding, no one's heard of Allison in months, and God knows when Danny's showing up. By the way, sorry about my brother leaving like that, he's always been a little distracted." Stiles said walking up tortured to Derek and apologized.

"It's okay. The guy is getting married; he has the right to be distracted. You know, when you told me about your situation I thought your family and friends would be callous and cold but from what I've seen they're wonderful and they clearly care about you." Derek said reasonably.

"Yeah, well, you haven't met all of them. Besides, when I was whining about them I never included my parents and brother or my close High School friends."

"Still, you have a lovely family, Stiles." He said quietly.

"Thanks." Stiles said, not sure what to make of his comment.

He wanted to ask Derek about his family but seeing the miserable look that crossed Derek's face he chose not to. It was then that it him; Derek was a complete stranger. He was giving this guy complete access into his life by bringing him here and yet he knew nothing about him. The sound of someone tapping a microphone dragged Stiles from his thoughts.

"Hello?" Aunt Trudy crooned into the microphone before taking a sip from her champagne.

"For the love of God, who gave that woman an amp?" Stiles groaned.

Clearly amused by Stiles's distress Derek chuckled lowly and pulled the younger man to his side.

"Hello? Oh, it's finally working! Does everybody have a drink? Because I'm going to say a few words. Welcome friends and family. We are so happy that you are here to celebrate with us as we welcome Isaac and the Whittemores to our family." She sighed dramatically as she smiled at Isaac who was now standing in the middle of the room with Scott wrapped in his arms.

Stiles was all but shaking next to Derek. Derek thought this was funny but he didn't know Aunt Trudy. She was Stiles's great aunt from his father's side of the family, and one of the most annoying women known to earth. She never liked him much, and when Jackson had announced their engagement she was one of the first people to start placing bets on how long they would last. Sensing the danger that could result from having his aunt with alcohol and a microphone, John made hurried to the small stage where she was standing to try to snatch the microphone away from her. Sneaky woman that she was though, she whirled around and stepped out of John's reach before he got to her.

"It's a funny story, actually. Just a few years ago we thought we would be joining the Whittemore family through Stiles's marriage to Jackson. As it was to be expected, that didn't last long. But I'm sure most of you already know that."

A wave of silence fell over the room, the only sounds being those of few throats being cleared and low whispering. Derek stood straighter and leaned protectively towards Stiles while Stiles willed his body not to run out of the room. Moments like these were the ones that made him question that woman's sanity. In the end he always came to the same conclusion, the woman was just a bitch. The people surrounding him and Derek shifted away from them slowly; that was all he could take. He excused himself from Derek and turned to leave the room when the sound of clapping startled everyone. Aunt Trudy looked to the entrance to see who had interrupted her speech and saw as people stepped back and made way to whoever was clapping. One would think seeing Jackson after all these years wouldn't affect Stiles too much. Wrong! Because there he was, handsome as ever, sporting a glowing tan and that predatory smile of his that used set Stiles loins on fire and all Stiles could do was gawk from a distance.

"To the happy couple!" Jackson hollered, lifting a champagne flute in Scott and Isaac's direction.

Every guest followed suit as they continued shouting their congratulations to the grooms. Jackson lowered his flute, his smile faltering the minute his eyes landed on Stiles. Stiles breath caught in his throat as he stood, body tense, waiting to see Jackson's next move. Taking Stiles's response as an opening, Jackson walked towards him and stopped when he saw Derek rub Stiles's shoulders and whisper on the other man's ear. John took advantage of the distraction and snatched the microphone out of Aunt Trudy's hand before someone ushered her away.

"You okay there, bud?" Derek whispered, his warm breath brushing Stiles's ears.

"I'm fine, I just need a minute." Stiles breathed before trotting off.

As he ran up the stairs he undid the top button of his shirt and gulped big breaths. Not again, he thought. He didn't even know where he was going exactly he just needed to get away from everyone. He slammed himself into the first door her found unlocked and thanked the gods when he found himself in the bathroom. After taking his shirt off, because he didn't want Lydia to kill him anytime soon, Stiles splashed cold water on his face and neck, drenching his undershirt in the process.

"Fuck!" he hissed before taking off his undershirt too.

He moved his head under the running water; hoping the coldness of the water would do to refresh the burning embarrassment that scalded his skin. It wasn't the spectacle Aunt Trudy had just made that embarrassed him. It was the fact that Jackson had intervened. Because that's what Jackson had just done; he'd stopped Aunt Trudy's babbling by starting that random toast and calling attention to himself. You see , that was the thing about Jackson. Everyone thought he was a dick, which he was there was no denying that, but when it came to the people he cared for he wasn't. That's why he was such good friends with Danny when Danny first came out of the closet, which later on lead to his own outing. That's why he'd befriended Stiles back in the day. What he did tonight, he did to save Stiles from more embarrassment. This was why Stiles hated coming to family gatherings, especially if Aunt Trudy was invited. He shut off the water and looked in the mirror. Haunted eyes the color of honey looked back at him. He ran a hand through his hair and made it messier. He'd decided to let it grow after Jackson left thinking a change of look might make him feel better. It did at first, and it certainly helped him get laid more. He grabbed one of the towels and ensued to dry himself when someone busted into the bathroom.

"What the fuck, man?" Stiles shouted, freezing in his spot when he saw who it was.

"You've been avoiding me, Stiles." Jackson said pointedly after closing the door.

Stiles paused drying his hair and gave Jackson leveled look.

"What did you expect, Jackson? Do I need to remind you who ended things? I'm already acquainted with the fact that you suffer from emotional whiplash but the way you bolted on me was enough indication to let me know you didn't want me anymore. Why would I answer your calls when you made it pretty clear we were over?"  
Jackson frowned, his skin tightening across his forehead.

"I was hoping we could still be friends." He said with uncertainty.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? I spent months without hearing from you and then one day you decided you wanted to be friends? Who fucking does that? If you wanted friendship you should've told me from the very start."" Stiles shouted in disbelief.

"Before we got together we were friends. I miss my best friend; please don't let my stupidity ruin the friendship we once had." Jackson said frantically.

"I'm sorry Jackson but I can't be your friend," Jackson's face fell a little and this tugged at Stiles's heart which is why he added, "at least not for now."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Jackson's face filled with hope. Stiles knew he would come to regret them soon enough but he tried not to think too much about it. He gave Jackson one last look before going back to drying himself. As he ran the towel down his chest he noticed the way Jackson's eyes ran the length of his body. Oh God, he groaned. Not that look. Stiles used to let Jackson get away with everything when he gave him that look.

"You look good, Stiles." He commented hoarsely, " I used to love the buzz cut but this suits you too." Jackson looked at him appraisingly before asking "Have you been working out?"

Stiles laughed quietly. Why did people keep on asking him that? As he was about to answer a knock on the door startled them both.

"Stiles, you're in there?" Came Derek's muffled voice.

"Yes, hold on." Stiles answered before walking past Jackson and opening the door.

When Stiles opened the door he couldn't help but notice the worried look on Derek's face.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Derek hinted quietly before he saw Jackson standing behind Stiles.

It was then when Derek took the moment to really look at Stiles. If Derek had been Stiles's real boyfriend that would've been the right moment to freak out; since he wasn't, though, there was no need for that. Except that Stiles still had this strange feeling when he saw a look of disappointment flicking over Derek's face, if only momentarily. The escort's cold assessing eyes went from Jackson's confused face to Stiles's naked upper body. After a moment of silence Derek fixed Jackson a calculated smile.

"What happened to your shirt, babe?" Derek smiled sweetly at Stiles.

Stiles nearly choked on his own spit. Babe, really? No one had ever called him babe. He never thought he was worthy of such endearment and by the way Jackson's eyes widened in surprise he hadn't either.

"I, ah, um. I had a little accident while I was washing my hands?" Stiles said awkwardly, his answer sounding like a question.

Derek gave an exasperated sigh as he stepped into the bathroom. He grabbed the towel off of Stiles's hands and continued to dry him, completely ignoring Jackson.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Jackson Whittemore who are you?" Jackson asked, clearly annoyed by Derek's interruption.

After he finished drying Stiles up Derek threw the towel on the bathroom sink and wrapped his arms around Stiles's waist from behind, resting his chin on Stiles's shoulder.

"Oh my bad, I'm Derek Hale, Stiles's boyfriend." Derek said complacently, unwrapping his right arm from Stiles's waist and offering his hand to Jackson.

"Boyfriend?" Jackson choked, his big blue eyes nearly bulging, "I didn't- I didn't know. Never would've thought…" his voice trailed off at the look Derek gave him, daring him to finish that sentence.

"My, my, my, is there a party I wasn't invited to in here?" Erica broke in from the doorway.

Stiles sighed in relief, he had never been more thankful of seeing Erica. She stepped into the bathroom and gave Jackson a nasty once over.

"Whittemore." She acknowledged, her voice dripping with contempt.

"Erica." Jackson replied dryly, not even bothering on looking at her.

Her eyes took a mischievous glint when she noticed Stiles's state of attire.

"Is this that kind of party?" she whispered, wiggling her eyebrows.

Stiles shook his head in amusement and tried to stifle a laugh, finally giving up just as he felt the rumble of Derek's chest against his back.

"My God, are you always like this, Erica?" Derek asked his lips twitching trying to contain a smile, and failing.

"You get used to it after a while." Stiles chuckled.

Erica stopped the wiggling and smiled a genuine smile.

"If I wasn't I would always be too depressed thinking of all the bullshit going on. You know what, let's get out of here. There's an open bar and we should be taking advantage of that."

"Where there's free alcohol there's Miss Erica Reyes. Some things never change." Jackson commented acidly, obviously trying to offend her but having the opposite effect.

"And don't you ever forget that, ken doll." She replied proudly.

With one last nasty look towards Jackson she dragged a shirtless Stiles and Derek out of the bathroom.

After a few questioning looks at his lack of shirt and bit more mingling Derek left Stiles and Erica to go make a phone call.

"Thank you for barging in. I thought I was going to die in that bathroom." Stiles muttered as he buttoned his shirt.

"No problem, babe." She said teasingly.

"Just how long were you listening to us?" Stiles laughed.

"Long enough to know that if your boyfriend had shown up a few minutes later he would've found you and Jackson fucking against the bathroom sink." She admitted, taking a gulp from her champagne flute.

"Jesus, Erica!" Stiles groaned, rubbing his hand down his face.

"What?" she asked unashamed, "you know it's true. One of his signature looks is enough to make you all hot and bothered. Jackson has always been your weak point. No, no, no, let me finish," she said, slapping a hand over his mouth. "I'm not saying he still is. You've grown a lot over the past few years and the way you handled things in there was very mature and great, up until you told him you could become friends again."

Stiles moved Erica's hand away from his face and held it between his.

"Listen, Erica, I appreciate that you care enough about me to give me this lecture, but I don't need it. Like you said, I've grown up, we all have. And because I grew up I think I can handle letting Jackson back into my life if only as a friend. I'll be fine, besides, have you seen my boyfriend?" he sneered at her.

"Oh yes I have, mister. A very fine specimen and I'm not the only to think so." She pointed to the group of women surrounding Derek. "Lucky for you, he doesn't swing that way."

Stiles nodded in agreement hoping to hide the fact that he didn't really know Derek's sexuality either; he would have to ask him about that later.

"What can I say, I'm a lucky guy." he joked halfheartedly as he clinked his flute to Erica's

"No, but seriously Stiles, he's so fucking hot. Where did you find him?" she almost whined, staring at Derek longingly.

"We met through Lydia."

"I'm going to have to start hanging out with her more often, see if she can find me a man like that. All the ones we know are either taken or gay, and some of them are taken and gay." She huffed.

Stiles snorted a laugh and threw an arm around her shoulder pulling her to him.

"Don't worry, Blondie. We will find your perfect man and he's going to be hot as hell and he will worship you."

He kissed her temple as she snuggled into his embrace. Later on that evening, Derek went back to find them and found them in the family room. He stepped in and closed the doors behind him. Stiles was sitting on the couch waiting for the night to be over. He'd seen Jackson walking by the door twice already, always laughing or talking with someone. He never failed to throw looks Stiles's way which is why Stiles had closed the door. Derek took in the scene before him and shook his head in amusement; Erica was passed out, draped over Stiles's lap. Derek sat next to Stiles and tilted his head to the side.

"Is this how Stilinski family reunions usually go?" he joked.

"Pretty much. Although, Scott is usually the one passing out drunk. I'm guessing he hasn't because Isaac won't let him." Stiles sighed.

As if to prove him wrong, Scott and Isaac stumbled into the family room, pulling at each other's clothes and chuckling like a pair school girls. Isaac pinned Scott to the nearest wall and lifted him up by grabbing onto his ass; tongues dancing, hands grabbing, moaning and grinding. It had been a while since Stiles had some action like that, which was why he was starting to get a "man reaction". And then his brain registered the fact that he was getting a boner from seeing his brother and brother in law pawing at each other. Argh, he turned his face to look the other side and found Derek assessing him, not the little porno taking place at the other side of them room. Oh no, he was using the smolder again.

"B-boys, they're like hormonal boys, don't you think?" Stiles whispered, his tongue darting out to glide over his lower lip.

Derek's eyes followed the movement and Stiles's mouth went dry. Oh please don't let me get a boner, Erica would kill me, he thought. Derek's eyes flickered to his and Stiles found himself leaning towards him. Derek, apparently, was all up for the idea because he was leaning towards Stiles too. Stiles took a moment to breathe him in, he smelled of aftershave and sandalwood. Derek caught his lower lip between his teeth when-

"Shut the fuck up, I want to sleep!" Erica croaked from Stiles's lap. "My God, someone hose those two down." She narrowed her eyes and gasped when she noticed the bulge on Stiles's lap. "Or maybe I should hose you two down."

The lovebirds were still too busy moaning and groping each other to notice there were more people in the room. Derek sighed and threw his head back while Stiles smiled apologetically at Erica who was still giving him the stink eye for getting a boner while her head was on his lap.

"Stiles!"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Stiles groaned when his dad walked into the family room.

One look at Erica's disheveled state, Stiles's bulge, and Derek's sourface (in a different situation Stiles would've found this hilarious, Derek' face looked like he'd just sucked on a lemon) and John knew he wanted nothing to do with them. Scott's moan caused John to look to the side and his face scrunched up in horror.

"Melissa! " he yelled in dismay before running out of the room.

Jackson decided to poke his head into the room at that moment to see what had caused the former sheriff to run away. His eyes landed on Stiles sitting next to Derek and he stopped, not sure if his presence would be accepted in the room. He then saw Erica groaning and taking one of her shoes off to throw it at Scott and Isaac, who were still making out.

"Scott!" Jackson cried surprised.

Scott detached his mouth from Isaac's neck and smiled at Jackson.

"Jackson, my man!" he shouted.

Isaac lowered Scott to the floor and walked towards Jackson. Smacking him right on the lips he said.

"Jackson, you're finally here! Have I told you yet you're the best foster brother anyone could ask for?" Isaac smiled dreamily at Jackson who stood at a loss of words.

"Thanks?" Jackson replied tentatively before turning to Stiles and mouthing what the fuck

Stiles only shrugged and tried not to laugh

"Now if you excuse me," Isaac announced to the entire room, "I'm going to fuck my fiancée."

And with a mock bow Isaac and Scott stumbled out of the room the same way they had entered it. The four remaining people looked at each other in silence, wondering what the fuck had just happened.

"That's my cue to go." Erica drawled, struggling to get off the couch.

Stiles offered to help her but she waved him away. Once she stood in the doorway she sneered at Jackson before nodding towards Stiles.

"Don't you think they make the cutest couple, Whittemore?"

"Whatever, Smelica." Jackson spat, his mouth twisting into an ugly sneer.

Erica's sneer wavered and her eyes filled with tears. That was a line no Jackson wasn't supposed to cross. No one had called Erica "Smelica" in years. It was one of the names people would use to taunt her. She left that awkward teen behind years ago and became a gorgeous, strong, independent woman. Stiles tried to hold back his anger; he knew Jackson wasn't like that. He was never one of the people that called her names back in High School so why the hell did he resort to do that now? Erica's lower lip trembled and the first tear fell. Stiles was going to beat the crap out of Jackson. Running towards Erica he grabbed her and hugged her to his chest.

"I think you owe her an apology, Jackson." Stiles said with a deadly tone.

Realizing his mistake Jackson's eyes widened a bit before turning hard again. He looked at Erica and muttered an apology before bolting out of the room.

"Maybe we should take her to her room." Derek offered quietly.

"Yeah, maybe we should." Stiles said dispassionately.

Derek threw one of Erica's arms over his shoulder and Stiles took the other. First day back in Beacon Hills and things had already gone to shit. Stiles used his free hand to scratch his head and exhaled an exasperated breath. If this was a preview of the next two weeks to come... he didn't think there was enough alcohol in Beacon Hills to keep him sane.


	4. Chapter 4

Stiles stepped into his room and shut the door behind him before leaning against it for support. Derek looked up from where he was standing next to the bed getting some stuff out of his suitcase. He gave Stiles a questioning look before going back to rummaging through his suitcase.

"Again, I'm sorry for the sleeping arrangement. It's not really fair you're stuck sleeping in the same bed as me." Stiles rushed out, taking a sip from the cup of water he'd brought with him from the kitchen.

"Don't worry, I understand. I was there when Melissa told you all the other rooms were occupied, remember?" Derek offered, a smile curving his lips.

"Right, sorry." Stiles nodded and turned around to place the cup of water he had brought from the kitchen on his bookshelf.

Derek glanced at him again and frowned worriedly but said nothing. With Stiles's luck he probably pitied him. After all the drama he had witnessed in one night he most likely understood why Stiles had been so nervous and skeptical about their ruse.

"Don't overthink things," Derek offered, "in the end this works to our advantage. If we are couple it is only normal for us to sleep together. This makes things more believable." He finished matter-of-factly.

He's right, Stiles thought. They were supposed to be two adults in romantic relationship; of course people would expect them to share a room. Stiles had hoped his dad would go back to his old rules about no sex while under his roof but when Stiles had asked which room Derek would sleep in the former sheriff had laughed and clapped him on the shoulder saying those rules didn't apply anymore. What made Stiles nervous at the moment was not getting found out but the fact he and Derek were sharing a room. The more he thought about it the more he felt like kicking himself, it was ridiculous, really, because it wasn't like Stiles was an awkward, virginal, teen who couldn't pull his weight when facing a situation like this. He wasn't that kid anymore.  
Stiles dragged his fingers through his hair and looked around the room trying to avoid looking at Derek. Nostalgia flooded him instantly; his room still looked the same way it did back when he was in High School. Filled with mementos from his childhood, memories of how happy his life in Beacon Hills used to be. Halo and Call of Duty posters graced his walls. The bookshelf headboard behind his bed still contained his batman and other DC comics action figures, a sonic screwdriver Scott bought for him as a present the first time the gang went to Comic-Con, and several pictures. His eyes landed on a picture of him and Scott as toddlers. He remembered bugging his dad about going to the park to try out his new bike. Melissa was holding a flailing Stiles on her lap and his dad sat next to her holding Scott as he threw a toothless smile towards the camera. Next to it there was a picture of his High School graduation day, Jackson and Danny stood on either side of him holding up their diplomas and smiling victorious. Finally his eyes shifted to the picture of his mother on a hospital bed while holding him on the day he was born. In that moment it finally hit him how much he missed this place and how no matter how much he tried to avoid coming back it would always be part of him.

Stiles shook himself up and went back to unpacking. He dragged his pajama bottoms out of his bag and a crumpled piece of paper fell on the floor. It was the article from the magazine, the one about male escorts, Derek's interview. He knelt to retrieve it when he felt Derek's presence right next to him.

"How did you know that was me?" Derek asked nodding towards the piece of paper.

"I- um, it was Lydia. You know she has connections all over the magazine. A small intimidating look from her and everyone does her bidding. After that you were easy to find."

Stiles answered, still not looking at him.

"So much for anonymity," Derek muttered unbuttoning his shirt.

Stiles chose that moment to look up and his jaw went slack. He had expected Derek to be wearing an undershirt, a wife beater, something. But he wasn't, he was shirtless which gave Stiles front row seats to his musculatory glory. Musculatory. Was that even a word? Stiles didn't care, he was too busy trying not to salivate over Derek's abs. Derek scowled into the contents of his bag as he took his shirt off which is why he didn't notice Stiles licking his lips at the way Derek's happy trail disappeared over the edge of his pants. The guy was attractive even when scowling, life was unfair. He admired the expanse of Derek's chest and the sprinkle of hair that covered it, the way his arms flexed. Noticing the silence Derek looked up and stared right at Stiles who had suddenly become very interested on the wash care label of the pants he held in his hand.

"Go ahead take a look. It's all part of the package." He said nonchalantly as he unbuckled his pants.

Stiles gulped nervously and picked up his bag from where it fell on the floor. Derek pulled down his pants and strutted into the bathroom with a towel draped over his shoulder. Stiles glanced up and groaned. Derek was a boxer briefs kind of guy, he threw Stiles a smirk over his shoulder and pulled his underwear down.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST" Stiles hissed before the most fit and beautiful pair of buttocks he had ever seen disappeared behind the shower curtain.

"Dammit!" he muttered before snatching his cellphone from the bed and calling Lydia.

"This is Ms. Lydia Martin, at this moment I cannot answer your call, probably because I have more important things to do. Please leave your name and phone number after the tone and I'll make sure to call you back. Beep."

"Hey Lyds, why aren't you answering? You nagged me about calling you as soon as I could to give you reports and you don't answer? I need someone to talk too I am freaking out. Tonight was a fiasco. Okay, not really. I mean, people have believed us. But still, everything sucks. Aunt Trudy's here, someone was stupid enough to let her get hold of the microphone, there was alcohol involved. Let's just say as in every other reunion she made sure to let everyone know how much she likes me.  
The beep indicating a call waiting interrupted his monologue.

"Spill." commanded Lydia's voice from the other end of the line.

"I'm about to have a major breakdown woman and it's all because of you. Why did I let you talk me into this?" Stiles groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Because I'm the smart one in this relationship. Get it together, Stilinski!" she admonished him before asking in a softer tone. "Now tell me, what happened?"

"Same as always he met my parents and part of the gang. There was mingling, lots of it, and he got most of the Stilinski clan to fall in love with him. He's great at his job, I'll tell you that. Everyone is eating it up."

"If that's the case then why do you sound upset?" she asked worriedly.

"Aunt Trudy." He admitted quietly.

"Granzilla? What did she do now?" she fumed.

"She went on one of her speeches saying how stupid I am for getting Jackson to dump me. I know she doesn't like me at all but is it really necessary for her to do these things." He rushed, trying to hide the pain her words caused him and failing. "I mean, I'm past all that but just because I finally got over it it doesn't mean it still doesn't sting every time she throws it back in my face."

"That geriatric bitch! I swear to God, when I get there I'm giving her a piece of my mind." She snarled.  
Stiles smiled at the ferocity in her voice.

"Thanks, Lyds."

"You're welcome." She replied softly. "Now, where's Derek?"

"He's in the bathroom about to take a shower. We got stuck sharing a room."

"Really?" she drawled, her curiosity evident in her tone.

" Yes. Why do you sound so interested? You scare me when you get like that. I can picture you twirling your imaginary mustache."

Lydia chuckled lowly and sighed.

"You know me so well, Stiles. I am interested because this is good news! Don't you get it? Sharing a room with Derek is the best thing that could've happened to you today. A little steamy shower sex will do wonders for you. It will get your mind off of things." She finished encouragingly.

"I am not about to have sex on my parents' house, Lydia. Are you insane!?" he whispered furiously hoping Derek couldn't hear him.

"Please, you and Jackson humped each other in your room like bunnies every time we went home for the holidays."

When silence was the only thing coming from Stiles's end of the line Lydia cursed herself.

"Shit Stiles, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up." She said anxiously.

"Stiles, would you grab my shampoo please? It's next to my suitcase?" Derek called from the bathroom.

"Listen, Derek's calling so I will call you later okay?"

"Of course. Good night sweetie."

He ended the call and ran to grab Derek's shampoo bottle nearly tripping in the process. It's just a naked guy in your shower. he chanted to himself. A very hot naked guy. He shook himself off and stepped into the bathroom. He was dying to take a peek into the shower as he handed Derek the shampoo bottle but he didn't because he was a gentleman... or maybe he was just really scared of falling into the shower or something. Then again, that seemed like a good way to go. Dying to the sight of Derek's glistening body above him as he joined the land of the dead? Yes please. He was whistling a tune Stiles couldn't quite place but Stiles liked it. Instead of leaving he sat on the toilet lid and watched Derek's silhouette as he scrubbed himself inside the shower. He followed the movement of Derek's hand as it glided over his neck and then his chest. Suddenly the bathroom was feeling a bit too hot. Maybe sitting there wasn't such a good idea.

"So um, how did you get into the escort business? You didn't mention much about that in the magazine article." Stiles asked, anything to distract him from all the kinky thoughts swarming his mind.

"It's a long story. Let's just say I got out of a very bad situation and the escort business seemed like a good option at the time." Derek said before stepped under the shower to rinse himself.

If Stiles said Derek's evasive answer didn't bother him he would be lying. He wanted to know more about his fake boyfriend. Here he was trying to find some even ground between them and the guy wouldn't spill the beans! This guy knew pretty much everything about him and gave nothing in return. Rude. Stiles contained the urge to roll his eyes and focused on looking at the bathroom door instead of the shower curtain. .

"In your interview you said, and I quote, 'Everyone has the love life they want.' Do you really think that's true? Because the last thing I want is to have a string of failed relationships yet those keep on coming my way. I call bullshit on your statement, dude."

"Say what you please, but I think it's true." Derek replied.

Stiles scoffed and looked back towards the shower, ready to give Derek a piece of his mind but instead of facing the shower curtain he was now face to face with Derek's abs. Derek had stepped out of the shower and was now standing in front of Stiles, completely naked. As in naked,naked. Stiles swallowed thickly opening his mouth multiple times in hopes of forming a coherent sentence but nothing came out. He was too distracted by the way the water sluiced off Derek's skin. If he dared to take a look down south would Derek notice? To hell with it Stiles thought. He was paying for it after all. Stiles lowered his lashes and followed Derek's happy trail. There's hair, a bit more hair, a little bit more of hair.

"Oh God!" He groaned before covering his face.

The sound of Derek's chuckle only made him flush more. As much as he wanted to play the cool card he couldn't. He wasn't that kind of guy that gazed lecherously at other men, no matter how hot they happened to be.

"Anyways, going back to our previous conversation." Stiles mumbled from behind his hands. "Do you honestly believe that I want to be single and miserable? Sure, I've gone on a few dates but all the attempts I make at establishing a new relationship fail. Do you think that I like to be hung up on some guy who led me on for years and out of the blue just shattered my heart?"

"Well first of all, there's no such thing as out of the blue and second of all, yeah." Derek replied flippantly.

Stiles stood up abruptly and got on Derek's face.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

Instead of reacting to Stiles's challenge Derek looked at him quietly and finished wrapping a towel around his waist.

"When you're ready to let go of Jackson, to be un-single and un-miserable your life will change for the better. Until then…" Derek shrugged his shoulders and stepped out of the bathroom leaving a very confused Stiles to ponder about his life decisions.

After taking a quick shower, which consisted mainly of him mumbling a stream of curses, Stiles realized there might have been some truths in what Derek said. Ever since he and Jackson had broken up he hadn't exactly opened up to other guys that easily. He shouldn't have gotten so worked up about it. Stiles put on his pajama pants and stepped out of the bathroom quietly. Derek was asleep, and he had fallen asleep on the left side of the bed Stiles's favorite side of the bed. Apparently things were not meant to work for Stiles today. With an annoyed sigh Stiles tiptoed towards the bed and tripped over his own feet when Derek's voice startled him.

"Are you mad?" Derek asked. He was facing the other side of the room so Stiles couldn't see his face only his back. A very sexy back… Did he just seriously think "sexy back"? Whatever, it applied to Derek's back.

Stiles made a show of fluffing his pillow before he slipped in under the covers.

"No." he answered quietly. Even if he was mad he it was mostly with himself for getting so worked up over what people thought about him.

Once Stiles was settled in bed Derek rolled around to face him, his eyes closed. He had the most ridiculous curly eyelashes ugh, unbelievable . Not knowing what to do he stared at Derek's calm, sleeping face and tried not to think of their state of undress. He was wearing his pajama bottoms and a thin cotton shirt, and since Derek had the covers pinned under his arms Stiles was able to see he was not wearing a shirt. But what about pants? Stiles pretended to burrow himself deeper under the covers and carefully grazed his knee against Derek's thigh…then pulled back with a hiss when all he felt was skin. Knowing all along what Stiles was trying to do Derek merely chuckled quietly with his eyes closed.

"I'm not naked under the sheets, Stiles." He mumbled sleepily, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.  
Stiles glared at him and huffed before turning to face the other way. A few seconds later he felt the bed shift as Derek also turned the other way. He closed his eyes and basked himself in the quiet surrounding them, the missed hours of sleep catching up to him. As he was drifting off to sleep he thought he heard the words Goodnight, Stiles whispered to him. But he was too tired to notice.

Stiles woke up the next morning to sound of people chatting in the hallway and the clatter of pans downstairs. He lay in bed for a good five minutes before opening his eyes hoping the last 24 hours had been nothing but a bad dream. The note next to his pillow proved otherwise.

I went out for a run and when I came back you were still asleep.  
You looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake you and after our day  
yesterday I figured you could use some sleep. I'll be downstairs if you need me.  
-Derek

Stiles gave a soft groan and fell back to his pillow. After yesterday's showdown he did not feel like facing all the guests again. The mere thought of having to see Jackson or Aunt Trudy today made him sick. Wait a minute. If Derek was up and about already that meant… Shit! Stiles bolted from the bed and got into the shower, he brushed his teeth while he was at it to save some time. How could he have been so stupid? Leaving Derek alone, vulnerable to his family's interrogations. What if his dad was interrogating him? Stiles dressed quickly and ran down the stairs nearly running smack into Deaton's nephew, Boyd was it?

"Sorry man!" Stiles squeaked. Boyd shook his head in amusement and waved him away before leaving the house .

When Stiles arrived to the kitchen he was a bit surprised at what he saw. Scott, Erica and Derek were all gathered around in the breakfast table laughing and pointing at something, a book? Was that…

"Hey!" Stiles indignantly, "Couldn't you have waited to pull the embarrassing high school pictures after a few days?"

Scott threw an impish grin his way while Erica rolled his eyes at him.

"Come on, Stiles. The guy came all the way to a family gathering with you. He met Aunt Trudy, and the rest of the Stilinski and Whittemore families. That and he already came face to face with you early in the morning. If that was not enough to send him running he's not going anywhere now." Said Scott, the burn of his comment diminished by the affectionate tone of his voice. Good, that means he approved of Derek.

"Aha , very funny Scottie." Stiles laughed as he approached the table.

He stepped behind them and ruffled Scott's hair while dodging his halfhearted shoves. Erica perked up in her chair and tilted her head back so Stiles could drop a peck on her cheek. And then he was standing next to Derek.

"Hi," he breathed, not really knowing what to do next.

Derek made the decision out of his hands when he grabbed his shirt and pulled him down, giving him a sound kiss on the mouth in front of everyone.

"Good morning," Derek whispered against his lips with a smile.

"Good morning," Stiles breathed back holding onto the back of Derek's chair for support.

Scott and Erica huddled closer and pretended not to watch them as they chewed on their breakfasts.

"Hey, where's your other half?" Stiles asked curiously.

After the way they were pawing at each other last night he figured they would be together 24/7. Before Scott could offer an explanation a very disgruntled Isaac stumbled into the kitchen holding his head between his hands and moaning curses. Erica choked back a laugh and handed him a cup of juice. Stiles wasn't sure exactly but he thinks Isaac mumbled something along the lines of "if I wasn't into dick I'd marry you". Isaac planted himself on the chair next to Scott's and leaned his head on his shoulder.

"Someone kill me please." He moaned.

Scott snaked his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and rubbed his back affectionately. Isaac snuggled closer, rubbing his nose against the length of Scott's neck, before finally kissing Scott's cheek. The whole thing was so cute and intimate Stiles had to look away and found Erica and Derek exchanging amused glances. Isaac looked up and frowned at Derek.

"Why is there a stranger in our kitchen?" he asked bewildered.

Scott and Erica burst out laughing and Derek looked at Isaac like he had grown a second head.

"This is my kitchen not yours," Isaac made a face at Stiles, "yet. Were you seriously that hammered last night? You already met Derek."

Isaac's brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to remember the events from the night before.

"Riiiiight, you're the frowny boyfriend!" he exclaimed with a snap of his fingers, Derek's frown deepened.

"So," Scott drawled, "Derek, what are your intentions towards my brother?"

"Scott," Stiles groaned.

"What? I have a right to know, and I've been waiting a long time to do this. This is payback for what you did when Isaac and I started dating." Scott said raising his eyebrows.

"Leave your brother alone, Scott." Melissa reprimanded as she and John entered the kitchen.

"But mom," Scott whined the same way he used to when he was little.

"Don't you 'mom' me." She said.

She swatted the back of Scott's playfully and blew a kiss to Stiles. John pulled Melissa's chair out and signaled for Stiles to sit down too. They all shared morning pleasantries and ate their breakfast with friendly conversation. When Stiles asked what happened to the rest of the guests John said most of them had ended up going to a local hotel, his Aunt Trudy included, thank God. The only ones who stayed behind were Erica, Boyd and Jackson.

"So, Derek," John started.

"John," Melissa warned.

"What?" he asked innocently mirroring Scott's earlier expression. "I want to know how they met."

Melissa rolled her eyes at her husband and turned to look at her eldest son expectantly. Okay. This was it. Derek placed his hand on Stiles's knee and squeezed, a way of letting him know he had his back and everything would be fine.

"We met through Lydia, about five months ago." Stiles nodded and looked around the table, meeting bored "is-that-it?" stares. What more did they want? Luckily for him his "boyfriend came to his rescue."

"Yes, it was during one of the lounge parties at the magazine where she works at. I had recently been doing some freelancing work for them and Lydia wanted me to take some pictures of the party." Derek added, eating his breakfast with gusto.  
The guy had a way with lies. Stiles paused mid drink of his orange juice when Derek's story sunk in. He remembered the party Derek was talking about; Lydia had dragged him over as her date. They danced all night and then went to a VIP after party which resulted in Stiles's worst hangover ever. How did Derek know about the party? Must be a coincidence.

"So you're a photographer." John said matter-of-factly.

"Not really. I majored in architecture at UCLA but didn't get to finish my senior year due to a family emergency." A dark look crossed over Derek's face and was gone in seconds.

"Anyways, my uncle invited me to move with him to New York where he teaches a photography course at a community college. He often took me along as his assistant and taught me everything I know now."

"Lydia's really demanding when it comes to her job so if she hired you without an actual degree you must be good." Scott raised his drink to Derek and tilted his head in approval.

Derek smiled shyly at Scott's compliment and continued his tale of how he and Stiles met when everyone got quiet all of the sudden. Stiles looked over his shoulder to where everyone was looking and found Jackson fidgeting by the doorway. He cleared his throat and bid everyone good morning before sitting on the other empty chair next to Scott and facing Stiles. Breakfast was really quiet after that, until Scott broke the silence and suggested they showed Derek around Beacon Hills.

They drove past Beacon Hills High and told him of all the times they got in trouble. They talked about the day Stiles and Scott mooned the entire cafeteria after some bitch had locked Erica out of the locker room in nothing but her underwear. About the day Danny and Lydia hacked into the school system to fix Scott's grade after Mr. Harris had given him an F after he accidentally scratched his car with his bike. Erica wasted no time in telling Derek about the extensive essay on the history of circumcision Stiles wrote, which was very well written and deserved an A, thank you very much. Stiles face hurt from grinning so much at Derek's reactions. The guy was laughing so hard he was starting to wipe tears from his eyes. Jackson mostly kept to himself; throwing tight-lipped smiles Derek's way from time and this one would answer with a shit-eating grin of his own. He knew Jackson didn't like him and he loved it. The situation was pretty funny. By midday they decided to stop by Finstock's café and sat on a booth after ordering cold drinks to quench their thirst and survive the summer heat. It was only after seeing them all together again that Finstock realized who Stiles was.

"Bilinski!" he shouted from across the bar. "I didn't recognize you yesterday with all the hair. I don't know if I should be happy to see all of you together again or scared."

"Just how bad were you guys in High School?" Derek laughed.

"Do you really need to know more after all we told you?" Isaac asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Derek's murmur on his ear was enough to make him shiver if only a little bit. Stiles knew he was in deep trouble. Not only was the guy ridiculously good looking, and charming, but he was also proving to be a very nice guy. He was very passionate about his job (not the male hooker part, the photography part mind you) and he even offered to do some portraits as a wedding present for the grooms. If he wasn't careful he could find himself giving in into temptation and trying to sleep with the guy. Bringing up the wedding subject turned to be a bad idea because then there was no way of getting Erica to stop talking about and complaining about the lack of straight, eligible bachelors she had not grown up on the wedding list.

"What about that Boyd guy?" Derek offered.

"Yeah, he's hot. But he's so quiet, and he's always looming all over the place. It's kinda creepy." She said.

"Well, you know what Danny always says about the quiet ones…" Scott said with a smirk.

"Yes,they turn out to be the freaky ones in bed, I know." Erica seemed to mull it over before saying." I'll keep that in mind."

"Speaking of Danny, where is he?" Stiles asked. It had been months since the last time they hung out and he was looking forward to seeing him again. Isaac typed something in his phone before answering.

"He should be getting here sometime around noon. He wanted to finish some paperwork before leaving the company. Oh, and Allison texted Scott earlier and said she would meet us here so she's probably on her way here."

"Who's Allison?"

Stiles turned to Derek and paused at the puzzled expression on the other man's face.

"She's another friend of ours, and Scott's best friend, after me of course. You will probably like her, everyone does. She's really sweet and I believe she's into photography too, maybe she can help you at the wedding?"

For a moment Derek looked uncertain and rubbed his neck nervously. Stiles moved closer to him, shielding their whispered conversation from the rest of the group and asked him what was wrong.

"This girl," he started, "what's her last n-"

"Allison!" Scott exclaimed, before bolting from his chair and running towards her.

The girl shrieked when he lifted her in a tight hug and swung her around. After putting her down, Scott guided her to the table where she received another hug from Isaac and a wave from Jackson. Stiles shook his head and smiled affectionately at his brother's enthusiasm. Things were going great, everyone was getting along, he didn't feel so overwhelmed over the whole Jackson thing, and Derek was turning out to be the best fake-boyfriend ever. If only he could find out what upset Derek all of the sudden. Allison had just finished hugging Erica when Scott dragged her towards Stiles.

"May I introduce you to Stiles and his new dude-"

"Derek?" She inhaled.

Oh no, no, no, no, no. This could not be happening.


End file.
